Being Thankful for What You Have: A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Effect of Gratitude on Life Satisfaction

Figures & data

Figure 1 Systematic process followed for reviewing empirical research.

Table 1 Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Research on the Relationship Between Gratitude and Life Satisfaction

Study	Sample	Design	Main Results
Datu & Mateo (2015)^Citation17	409 Filipino undergraduates Mage = 17.63	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r =.43) Presence of meaning in life was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between gratitude and LS
Kong et al (2014)^Citation18	427 Chinese undergraduates Mage = 21.01	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r = 0.19) Social support is a statistical mediator of the correlation between gratitude and self-esteem, and self-esteem is a mediator between social support and LS.
Sun & Kong (2013)^Citation19	354 Chinese undergraduates Mage = 20.95	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated (r = 0.24) Positive affect and negative (measured with PANAS) affect each mediated the relationship between gratitude and LS.
Yang et al (2021)^Citation20	494 Chinese adolescents. Mage = 13.26	Two time-points	Cross lagged model found that T1 gratitude predicted T2 LS, but T1 LS did not predict T2 gratitude.
Unanue et al (2022)^Citation21	487 Chilean adults Mage = 41.43	Longitudinal	Strong positive correlations between gratitude and LS at all timepoints. Gratitude and predicts later LS, but LS does not predict later gratitude
Unanue et al (2019)^Citation22	Chilean working adults. S1 Mean = 38.30 S2 Mean= 36.94 Study 1 (1 month): 725 Study 2 (3 months): 1,841	Longitudinal	Strong positive correlations between gratitude and LS at all timepoints. Longitudinal analyses in both studies find evidence of a bidirectional relationship, but gratitude predicts later LS at least as well as LS predicts later gratitude.
Lin (2019)^Citation23	375 Taiwanese university students. Mage =20.40 years	Cross-sectional (SEM analyses)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r=0.44 Partially mediated by positive emotion – somewhat more than half the total effect.
Balgiu (2019)^Citation24	325 Romanian undergraduates Mage =20.84	Cross-sectional (SEM analyses)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49 Much of the effect was accounted for by positive affect and negative affect, although there was also a substantial direct effect.
Aghababaei et al (2018)^Citation25	Study 1: 188 Iranian students Mage =21.91 Study 2: 205 Iranian students (Mage = 23.3) and 212 Polish students (Mage = 21.9)	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated in all three samples, with r’s 0.41-0.50
Biber and Brandenburg (2021)^Citation26	231 US college students. (Ages not reported).	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.36
Chen et al (2017)^Citation27	190 collegiate athletes from Taiwan Mage = 21.26	Cross-sectional (plus moderation)	Gratitude and life satisfaction positively correlated, r =0.18 Relationship moderated by mindfulness (Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale), such that the relationship is stronger in more dispositionally mindful people and nonsignificant at lower levels.
Green et al (2020)^Citation28	779 Pakistani university students Mage =22.3	Cross-sectional (plus mediation)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.41 Used Body–Mind–Spirit Wellness Behavior and Characteristic Inventory Positive indirect effects through Body, Mind, and Spirit subscales accounting for roughly half of the total effect.
Shourie and Kaur (2016)^Citation29	250 16–18 year-old high school students in India	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.81
Ramzan and Rana (2014)^Citation30	206 university teachers in Pakistan, Mage = 38.24	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.46
Chen et al (2012)^Citation31	29 collegiate athletes in Taiwan Mage = 20.3	Longitudinal (10 one-week intervals)	Weekly changes in gratitude within individuals were correlated with changes in life satisfaction. Moderated by Ambivalence over Emotional Expression (AEE), such that the positive correlation was only present at lower levels of AEE.
Chang et al (2022)^Citation32	191 Spanish older adults Mage  = 63.4	Cross-sectional (plus mediation and moderation)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.36 Moderated effect: gratitude-LS relationship is stronger for people better at understanding emotions of others. Mediation of gratitude-LS by broadening one’s use of emotions.
Datu (2014)^Citation33	210 Filipino university students Mage  = 17.8	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.47
Aghababaei and Tabik (2013)^Citation34	256 Iranian students Mage = 23.38	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.17
JW Zhang (2020)^Citation35	S1a: 110 US adult volunteers Mage = 36.1 S1b: 172 US adult volunteers Mage = 39.9 S2: 392 US students Mage = 24.8 S3: 122 US students Mage = 22.3	Cross-sectional Study 3 (n=122) has two-timepoints (cross-lagged analysis)	Gratitude at T1 predicted LS at T2 Mediation by past positive time perspectives in both cross-sectional and cross-lagged studies.
L Zhang et al (2022)^Citation36	S2: 298 Chinese college students Mage = 20.1	Two time-points (cross-lagged analysis)	Gratitude at T1 predicted LS at T2, but not vice versa.
Hill and Allemand (2011)^Citation37	962 Swiss adults Mage = 52.4	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49
Xiang and Yuan (2021)^Citation38	991 Chinese university students Mage = 19.1	Cross-sectional (SEM)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.28 Chain mediation of gratitude→LS by mindfulness and then benign envy and malicious envy
Chen (2013)^Citation39	291 adolescent athletes in Taiwan Mage = 16.8	Cross-sectional (SEM)	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.28 Chain mediation of gratitude→LS by social support from coaches and teammates and subsequently by team satisfaction.
Chen et al (2015)^Citation40	300 adolescent athletes in Taiwan Mage = 16.8	Cross-sectional (SEM)	Correlation between gratitude and LS fully mediated by perceived team cohesion.
Salvador-Ferrer (2017)^Citation41	309 Spanish university students Mage = 21.9	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS significantly negatively correlated r = −0.19
Szcześniak and Soares (2011)^Citation42	338 Italian adults Mage = 32.1	Cross-sectional	Gratitude and LS positively correlated r = 0.49

Abbreviations: SD, Standard Deviation; LS, life satisfaction.

Table 2 Intervention Research on How Gratitude Influences Life Satisfaction 2010–2022

Study	Sample	Intervention Type	Design Groups	Time of Measure	Main Results
Armenta et al (2020)^Citation45	1017 students in the United States Mage  =  15.1	4-week intervention	EG: Gratitude letter writing CG: Listing daily activities (described as an organizational task)	Pre/post/ 3-month follow-up	No absolute increase in LS. Relative increase compared to CG at post-test and 3-month follow-up. Effect partially mediated by increases in feelings of elevation and indebtedness.
Renshaw & Rock (2018)^Citation46	97 college students in the United States Mage  =  20.0	2-week intervention	EG: Grateful reflection (no writing) CG: Reflect on something recently learned	Pre/post/ No follow-up	Overall main effect of Time. Unclear if increase in EG is significant. No effect of gratitude intervention on LS compared to the control condition.
Cunha et al (2019)^Citation47	410 adults in Brazil Mage  =  32.7	2-week intervention	EG: Grateful listing CG 1: Listing hassles CG 2: Listing daily activities	Pre/post/ 14-day follow-up	Increase in LS relative to baseline. No difference in LS between EG and either control condition.
Boehm et al (2011)^Citation48	220 adults in the United States Mage = 35.6	6-week intervention	EG 1: Grateful Letter Writing EG 2: Practicing optimism (Write about best possible life) CG: Listing past weeks’ experiences (described as an organizational task)	Pre/post/1-month follow-up	Increase vs baseline in EG (unclear if significant). Gratitude group reported increased LS at post-test compared to the CG. No increase relative to optimism group. Anglo Americans benefited more from the intervention than did predominantly foreign-born Asian Americans.
Iqbal & Dar (2021)^Citation44	385 school students in India Mage  = 16.7	2-week intervention	- EG 1: Grateful listing (Counting Blessings) - EG 2: Visualizing Best Possible Selves (BPS) - CG (Neutral): Listing daily activities	Pre/post/ 1-month follow-up	No significant increase in LS relative to CG. Moderation: Participants with low baseline self-esteem in the gratitude condition experienced an increase in LS at post-intervention and follow-up versus CG.
Chan (2011)^Citation49	96 Hong-Kong teachers, Mage = 33.1	8-week intervention	EG: Grateful listing exercise No control group	Pre/post No follow-up	Post-intervention increases in life satisfaction relative to baseline.
Toepfer et al (2012)^Citation50	184 US college students Mage = 25.7	3-week intervention	EG: Writing letters CG(Neutral): No activity	3 weeks Pre/post	Pre-test to post-test improvement in LS for EG but not CG. Unclear if interaction is significant.
Khanna et al (2021)^Citation51	238 Indian school students Mage = 12.3	8-week intervention	EG1: Gratitude journaling EG2: Stress management EG3: Gratitude and stress combined Control: No activity	Pre/post	Nonsignificant decrease in LS in gratitude condition. No relative increase versus control.
Gabana et al (2019)^Citation52	51 US college athletes Mage = 19.8	90-minute workshop	Mini-lecture and discussion, then writing activity. No control condition	Pre/post + 4-week follow-up	No increase in LS from pre-intervention.
Atad & Russo-Netzer (2022)^Citation53	448 Israeli College students who took a positive psychology course. Mage = 28.5	1-week writing intervention.	EG: Wrote and hand-delivered a letter of gratitude + brief reflection exercise. CG: Participants journaled about early memories every night for a week.	Pre/post/+1 week/+1 month/+3 months	Increase in LS versus baseline. Overall EG vs CG effects post-test and after 1 week and 1 month, but not at 3 months. Three-way interaction: effects were strongest among people who scored high on prioritizing positivity and prioritizing meaning measures. Participants in CG also experienced small increase at post-test.
Salces-Cubero et al (2019)^Citation54	124 older adults in Spain. Mage = 69.1	Workshop at day-center.	EG1: Gratitude presentation and discussion. EG2: Savoring presentation and discussion. EG3: Optimism presentation and discussion. CG: No change from usual activities	Pre/post + one month follow-up.	LS increased relative to baseline in gratitude and savoring groups, while no increase was observed in the optimism and control groups. Effect was present at one-month follow-up.
Koay et al (2020)^Citation55	33 Chinese college students Mage = 21.8	1-week social media intervention	EG: Post one picture with gratitude caption on Instagram. CG: Post pictures related to color.	Pre/post	No increase in LS in EG No effects of EG vs CG. Intervention did cause increase in gratitude.
Nawa and Yamagishi (2021)^Citation56	80 university students in Japan. Mage = 22.0	2-week daily online intervention with mixed tasks.	EG: Gratitude journaling CG: No task	Pre/mid/post	Overall effect of time but increase in LS in the CG appears nonsignificant. No effects of gratitude intervention vs control.
Booker and Dunsmore (2017)^Citation57	101 undergraduate students in USA Mage = 18.7	1-week intervention	EG1: Gratitude-focused writing EG2: Emotion-disclosing writing CG: No activity	Pre/post + 1-month follow-up	Overall increase in LS across all conditions. Increase in LS relative to CG. No increase relative to emotion-disclosing writing.
Berger et al (2019)^Citation58	N=150. Mixed sample of adults recruited through Facebook and undergraduate students from Israel. Mage =26.7	3-week intervention, multiple methods	EG1: Interpersonal grat. list EG2: Non-interpersonal grat list EG3: Interpersonal grat letter EG4: Interpersonal letter + interpersonal list CG: Daily writing about pos and neg incidents.	Pre/post + 3-month follow-up	LS increased at post-test versus baseline. No effects of any condition above control on either life satisfaction or gratitude.
Timmons and Ekas (2018)^Citation59	67 mothers of children with autistic spectrum disorder, based in USA. M = 39.70 years	8-week intervention	EG1: Gratitude writing EG2: Child-specific gratitude CG: Neutral life event writing task	Pre/post + 1-month follow-up	No effects of either condition on life satisfaction
Uhder et al (2017)^Citation60	N=56 volunteers from small-town Church congregations in USA. Mage = 51.9	4-week intervention	EG: Gratitude-related sermons. Participants also received a book on gratitude and weekly emails with links to videos. CG: No activity (wait-list) Note: groups not randomly assigned (EG and CG were two congregations).	Pre/post + 4-week follow-up.	Increase in LS over time, but also in control. No group*time interaction.
Rash et al (2011)^Citation61	44 Canadian adults Mage = 22.5	4-week intervention	EG: Twice-weekly gratitude reflection and journaling exercise. CG: (Neutral) Reflection and journaling about a memorable event.	Pre/post	Increase in LS in the EG, nonsignificant decrease in the CG. Unclear if group*time interaction is tested. Moderation by pre-test levels of gratitude (high/low) such that effects only present for low gratitude group.
Noor et al (2018)^Citation62	59 undergraduate students in Malaysia Mage = 23.8	2-week intervention	Grateful listing (3 good things) No control condition	Pre/post	Increase in life satisfaction relative to baseline. No comparison group.

Abbreviations: RCT, Randomized Controlled Trial; EG, Experimental Group; CG, Control Group; LS, Life Satisfaction.

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